4.5★ Audiobook⎮ The Cryptic Lines was a pleasantly surprising story. It provided precisely what I was looking for on a rainy October night. It was a short listen, full of unexpected twists.

I’ve come away from this experience with much appreciation for Richard Storry’s writing abilities. His storytelling captivated me. He told a better story in just over four hours than some authors tell in double or triple that amount of time. The tale itself slightly called to mind The Count of Monte Christo or some other work of Poe, but without any gore. Richard Storry didn’t need blood and guts to tell this tale. He used skillful writing to create an atmosphere of suspense, which can be much more frightening than outright horror.

Atmosphere was very important in The Cryptic Lines. Storry’s visual imagery plays to the listener’s imagination, allowing it to run rampant for nearly 4 hours. Strangely enough, The Cryptic Lines reminded me of the 1985 movie Clue because of the sprawling mansion setting and the scavenger hunt-type mission the characters go on. Trying to solve the riddle was frustratingly fun and akin to being in a carnival’s haunted house.

I was never in fear of prematurely solving the riddle. The mystery was pretty well cloaked. Even if I had been on the verge of figuring things out, Storry still have plenty more twists up his sleeve. Some of the twists were actually quite heartbreaking. I wasn’t expecting a mystery/thriller story to tug at my heart this much. The ending may seem a little far-fetched to some, but it was written with such fluidity that I took it in stride. Besides, Storry had already thrown so many curveballs that I was prepared for just about anything.

I’m so glad that I saved The Cryptic Lines for October. It was just perfect for leading up to Halloween. Richard Storry’s writing was marvelous and I am very much a fan of his style. I definitely recommend The Cryptic Lines to anyone looking for a short, but fantastically written suspense story.

Narration review: Jake Urry’s narration was as surprising as the story itself. For a young man, Urry managed to sound ageless. If I hadn’t known better, I would have guessed that he was quite a few years (maybe even decades) older than he really is. His voice had an air of distinguishability that really made me buy into the story of an aging British Lord living in a gothic mansion. Urry’s timbre, accent and articulation held atmospheric qualities that greatly enhanced the story. I quite enjoyed listening to his narration and it intensified my feelings of suspense while listening. This was a case of a story and its narration having a perfectly symbiotic relationship which produced something remarkable. ♣︎

➜ This audiobook was graciously gifted to me by its author, Richard Storry, in exchange for a review containing my honest thoughts and opinions. Thanks, Richard!

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Many thanks, Jess! So pleased you enjoyed it. Jake will also be narrating another of my books, “The Black Talisman” which will become available shortly before Christmas. Needless to say, I am very much looking forward to hearing it!